Emotional Intelligence for Leadership

Leaders are important since they are the catalysts of organisational growth. Leaders with emotional intelligence tend to achieve their personal and organisational goals more effectively than those without emotional intelligence. The act of knowing, understanding, responding to emotions, overcoming stress in the moment, and being aware of how your words and actions affect others, is described as emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the foundation for a host of critical skills. It impacts everything one does or says, every day.

There are 5 key elements to emotional intelligence. As an effective leader, you need to be aware and manage these 5 areas.

1.Self-awarenessThis can be defined as having the ability to recognize one’s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values and their impact on others. It is important to take some time and reflect on your identity, your strengths and weaknesses, and the impact of your decisions on other people. A recent study by Korn Ferry Hay Group found that 92% of leaders who were extremely self-aware had high energy and high performing teams. In sharp contrast, leaders with low self-awareness create negative climates 78% of the time.

2. Self-regulationOur emotions are driven by biological impulses. These biological impulses are beyond our control, but the resulting emotions are not. When emotions are running high, they certainly cannot be ignored, but they can certainly be managed. Leaders who regulate themselves effectively, rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values.

3. MotivationTo be an effective leader who has a contagious drive to achieve goals and passionately pursue excellence – motivation is key. Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals and have extremely high standards for the quality of their work. Also, if you are a motivated leader your team will be motivated too. A motivated team is more engaged and will have higher productivity than a team who is not motivated.

4. EmpathyFor leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders who are empathetic have the ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Being empathetic also enables people to be more trusting, as they feel you can understand them better. This quality also enables leaders to challenge people who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need to be heard.

5. Social SkillsFinally, the last aspect of emotional intelligence is social skills. Leaders who have good social skills are usually great communicators. They are able to handle tough situations as well as resolve conflicts diplomatically. They have the knack to motivate their team and get them excited about a new project or push them to achieve more.

These 5 focus areas on emotional intelligence are all areas that can be worked on. These are not innate qualities but can be acquired through making a conscious effort to improve as well as using several techniques for each area.

One of our key strengths is in the area of emotional wellness. We have a customisable and dedicated module that is focused on emotional intelligence. Our module helps you go from a good to an exceptional leader with great emotional intelligence.